A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

is one to a healthy lifestyle! It’s not been without fits and starts, but one more time, I’m giving it a fresh start! I started a year ago with a “diet” and have transitioned to a commitment to follow a sustainable health and fitness plan. I have decided to blog about my progress, as a way to track what works best for me and to share what I learn along the way. I hope to exchange ideas with others who wish to travel a similar path.

We moved to Las Vegas over a year ago, and in the transition, I gained weight that I would love to lose! Cooking regularly with no regard to nutrition, coupled with the MANY fine dining options here in Las Vegas, has packed on the pounds!

My husband LOVES hearty, meaty meals, and in our first year of marriage, I spent many hours perfecting a set of recipes to make it easy to prepare meals for him each day. I obliged his tastes by trying new recipes and preparing those he most enjoys. He loves Mexican and Italian…cheesy, tomato-ey, spicy, hot and greasy! Lots of meat, a bit of sauce, hot salsa, and jalepenos have made him sick and have made me FAT! He has been prescribed a diet which restricts all of his favorite foods, and I am exploring options for losing weight, so I am building a new file of recipes we both can enjoy.

I am currently experimenting with a new cooking style–Mediterranean. He enjoys flavorful dishes, and Mediterranean meals include a variety of healthy options, including balsamic vinegar, vegetables, and whole grains. My most recent discovery is farro, a grain commonly used in Italian cooking.

Inspired by Cheesecake Factory’s Tuscan Chicken, I decided to visit Whole Foods in search of farro as the base for a new dish. After soaking the farro in ice cold water overnight, I sauteed it with a little olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar, and then added capers. In a second batch, I added fresh, quartered tomatoes, mushrooms, and diced red and green bell peppers.

Our consensus was that we didn’t like the capers or the peppers. Next time I will add cubes of boneless, skinless chicken breast, sauteed with the other ingredients. The farro with the balsamic vinegar was delicious!